Vitreoretinal Surgery Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE VITREORETINAL SURGERY FOUNDATION STRIVES TO PROMOTE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH RELATED TO RETINAL AND MACULAR DISEASES. WE SUPPORT RESEARCH BY FUNDING AWARDS FOR YOUNG INVESTIGATORS WITH A POTENTIAL FOR A CAREER DEVOTED TO RETINAL DISEASE AND RESEARCH. WE PROMOTE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION BY SPONSORING COURSES DESIGNED FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS INCLUDING OPHTHALMOLOGISTS, OPTOMETRISTS, RESIDENTS, FELLOWS, TECHNICIANS AND STUDENTS. WE PROMOTE COMMUNITY OUTREACH EDUCATION BY RAISING AWARENESS OF RETINAL DISEASES, TREATMENT OPTIONS, AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
- Income
- $347,305
- Spending
- $205,103
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- 76.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 75%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 0
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 76.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 41% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 29% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 97 out of 100. Higher than 93% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 258 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (2)
- $43,583 spent. THE VRS FOUNDATION SPONSORS THE ANNUAL RETINAL UPDATE CONTINUING EDUCATION CONFERENCE. THIS HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY OF THE VRSF AND HAS OCCURRED ANNUALLY FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS. THE TARGET AUDIENCE IS PRACTICING OPHTHALMOLOGISTS AND OPTOMETRISTS IN THE UPPER MIDWEST. PRESENTATIONS ARE GIVEN BY VRS PHYSICIANS, AS WELL AS AN INVITED NATIONAL RECOGNIZED SPEAKER. THIS CONFERENCE IS ACCREDITED BY THE MINNESOTA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION FOR 4 AMA PRA CATEGORY 1 CREDITS. THE OPHTHALMIC BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED THE CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITS THEIR LATEST INNOVATIONS. IT IS THE ONLY CONFERENCE SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING DISEASES OF THE RETINA AND MACULA IN OUR REGION EACH YEAR. IN 2025, THERE WERE 162 ATTENDEES AND 16 EXHIBITORS AT THE CONFERENCE.IN ADDITION, THE VRS FOUNDATION HOSTS A RESIDENT/FELLOW CASE REVIEW CONFERENCE THE EVENING BEFORE THE RETINAL UPDATE COURSE. RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS FROM VRS, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND MAYO CLINIC PRESENT CHALLENGING CASES TO RCM, U OF MN AND MAYO CLINIC STAFF PHYSICIANS AS WELL AS OUR INVITED NATIONAL SPEAKER. IN 2025, THERE WERE 28 ATTENDEES TO LEARN ABOUT 11 DIFFERENT CASES PRESENTED. THE RETINAL UPDATE MEETING GENERATES SOME INCOME FOR THE FOUNDATION. PROGRAM EXPENSES ARE OFFSET BY REGISTRATIONS FEES AND EDUCATIONAL GRANTS FROM THE OPHTHALMIC BUSINESS COMMUNITY. IN 2025, THERE WAS PROFIT OF $19,742
- $146,783 spent. SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THE VITREORETINAL SURGERY FOUNDATION (VRSF) 2005, WE HAVE MAINTAINED A ROBUST RESEARCH PROGRAM. THE GOAL OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAM HAS BEEN TO SUPPORT YOUNG INVESTIGATORS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO PURSUE A CAREER FOCUSING ON DISEASES OF THE RETINA. OUR RESEARCH PROGRAM IS OPEN TO MEDICAL STUDENTS, RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS AT OPHTHALMOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAMS, AND FULLTIME RESEARCH TRAINEES AT ACADEMIC CENTERS. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH 36 PRACTICE BASED AND UNIVERSITY AFFILIATED PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.WE OFFER TWO TYPES OF RESEARCH GRANTS. OUR RESEARCH AWARD IS DESIGNED FOR OPHTHALMOLOGY RESIDENTS AND FELLOWS WHO WANT TO PURSUE A RESEARCH PROJECT DURING THEIR CLINICAL TRAINING. THE AWARD CONSISTS OF A RESEARCH STIPEND OF $2000 TOGETHER WITH AN ADDITIONAL $1000 FOR RESEARCH RELATED EXPENSES AND $1000 FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES TO PRESENT RESEARCH RESULTS AT A NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM. OUR RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IS DESIGNED FOR SOMEONE INVOLVED IN FULLTIME RESEARCH AT AN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION PURSUING AN ADVANCED DEGREE, SUCH AS A PHD OR MD/PHD. THE FELLOWSHIP HAS A STIPEND OF $10,000 AND AN ADDITIONAL $1000 FOR TRAVEL EXPENSES TO PRESENT RESEARCH RESULTS AT A NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM.EACH YEAR BEGINNING IN JULY WE SOLICIT APPLICATIONS FROM OUR 35 AFFILIATED TRAINING PROGRAMS. APPLICATIONS ARE REVIEWED BY OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSISTING OF MEMBERS OF OUR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE, RETINA CONSULTANTS OF MINNESOTA PLLC, AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND THE MAYO CLINIC. THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS COMPETITIVE, WITH APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE APPLICATIONS SELECTED FOR AN AWARD OR FELLOWSHIP. IN 2025, THERE WERE 74 APPLICATIONS, WITH 34 RESEARCH AWARDS GIVEN, AND 5 FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED.THE SUCCESS OF OUR RESEARCH PROGRAM CAN BE MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF PRESENTATIONS OF RESEARCH RESULTS AT NATIONAL MEETINGS AND PUBLICATION OF RESEARCH MANUSCRIPTS BY PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS. RESEARCH RESULTS ARE FREQUENTLY CITED IN ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS. RESULTS OF PRESENTATIONS ARE SOMETIMES PICKED UP BY LOCAL OR NATIONAL MEDIA. PUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH COMMUNITY THROUGH THE PUBMED SEARCH ENGINE, AND MOST JOURNAL ARTICLES ARE AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE OPHTHALMOLOGY PROFESSION THROUGH OPEN SOURCE JOURNAL ACCESS. OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS THERE HAS BEEN 158 PRESENTATIONS AND 86 PUBLICATIONS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 2005.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.